Prisoner of the Past
by Wraith Leader
Summary: Intertrilogy story in which Padme Amidala Skywalker, now the warden of an Imperial detention facility, must make a decision that could impact the lives of everybody around her...especially her own.


Prisoner of the Past  
  
Dramatis Personae  
  
Nespis IX Detention Facility  
  
Ask Aak - Former Republic Senator - Gran male from Malastare  
  
Kell Doranya - Former General, Army of the Republic - human male from Alderaan  
  
Orn Free Taa - Former Republic Senator - Twi'lek male from Ryloth  
  
Padme Amidala Skywalker - Former Republic Senator - human female from Naboo  
  
Mace Windu - Jedi Master - human male  
  
The Empire  
  
Palpatine - Emperor - human male from Naboo  
  
Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith - human male from Tatooine

Prisoner of the Past  
  
The prison world of Nespis IX was cold, forbidding, and not the sort of place that anyone in their right mind would ever choose to visit. Even the prisoners agreed that it would be suicidal to venture out into the frozen wasteland of the planet. Some claimed that monsters existed outside the walls of the prison, while others believed that if they somehow found themselves outside, they would die before anyone could come to their rescue.  
  
This dour outlook on life may have been in part due to the fact that most of those inhabiting Nespis IX were not criminals, at least, not by the normal sense of the word prior to the rise of Emperor Palpatine's New Order. They had served at all levels of the Republic, some as members of the Senate, others as part of the Grand Army of the Republic, formed by Palpatine, then Supreme Chancellor, at the beginning of the Clone Wars. All had shared a love for democracy, but now found their voices silenced by the walls that protected them, and the armed stormtroopers that maintained a highly visible presence within the prison.  
  
Most of the prisoners would agree, however, that the person imprisoned most on Nespis IX was the one in charge of the prison. Any revolt or escape attempt would ultimately leave the warden under the scrutiny of Imperial agents, perhaps even requiring the attention of the Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. After all, those imprisoned on Nespis IX were among the most influential voices in the Republic, and those most likely to damage the Emperor's regime should they be raised against him. But the prisoners realized that the only reason they were still alive, and hadn't been simply executed by the Emperor's stormtroopers was that the individual in charge of the prison had personally pleaded with Palpatine for the lives of those now contained within the walls of the detention facility.  
  
The warden of the detention facility had once been beautiful, but the times she lived in had burned away some of the softness, Time leaving its mark on her cheeks. Streaks of gray had permeated her auburn hair. But it was to look into her eyes that truly told of what she had seen, and what that sight had done to her. She had seen the government she served quashed under the jackboots of the Empire, and might have found herself in the same position as those whose lives she now protected had it not been for a voice suggesting to the Emperor that she would be of more use to the New Order alive than dead. Thus, she now found herself exiled to this lonely world, given the job of supervising the imprisonment of those who had merely raised their voice on behalf of democracy, which Palpatine had once claimed to love. Padme Amidala Skywalker, wife of Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, had become a prisoner of her past.  
  
The uniform itched, Padme thought, and once more inwardly cursed Palpatine and his New Order. The Empire had taken all that she loved: her government, her husband, and her children. No matter what happened, she thought each day of her children, hidden from Anakin by his former mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom Padme still considered a close friend. She knew that Leia was safe, protected from Palpatine by Bail Organa, one of the few Senators who had escaped the Emperor's purges from the Republic Senate. Even the Senate was no longer the same. Palpatine had converted it into something designed to suit his will, a body that would turn his decrees into law. And Luke was hidden far on the Outer Rim, under the watchful eye of Obi-Wan.  
  
Stop it! she commanded herself. After all, she couldn't know what type of agents Palpatine may have inserted into the prison facility for the express purpose of keeping an eye on her. She suspected that the aide in the anteroom to the office was a servant of Palpatine, and probably would report anything out of the ordinary directly to Palpatine. She also knew better than to trust any of the guards, since their jobs depended on the Empire and all that it stood for. Even some of the prisoners, Padme suspected, were involved in trying to get out by making deals with the guards, deals that Padme had no doubt Palpatine would break as soon as the fools were of no further use to him.  
  
Outside the job of maintaining order, Padme had little else to do, and wondered if this whole situation was nothing but an elaborate ruse on the part of the Emperor. She knew, as most of the prisoners did, that there was little to no chance that they would ever be freed. In fact, the Holonet had actually reported that General Doranya of Alderaan had been killed in an attack by traitorous elements within the Imperial military, while Kell Doranya was actually one of the first people that Palpatine had imprisoned here. As such, Kell proved invaluable to Padme in that he kept her aware of any possible infiltration from the population of the prison.  
  
The comm on her desk flashed, indicating an incoming transmission. "This is Skywalker," she said, thinking that it was odd that she continued to use Anakin's name, even though he had forsaken it following his defeat at Obi-Wan's hands.  
  
"Warden Skywalker, this is Lieutenant Nalgol of the _Restrainer_," the relatively young Imperial at the other end of the line stated. He seemed, to Padme, to be far too young for even that relatively low-ranking position. "A pair of traitors are being delivered into your custody. Request permission to land."  
  
"Permission granted, Lieutenant. The shield will be down momentarily." Whomever had designed this place had planned on giving the warden of it complete control, as even the shield could be controlled from Padme's office. Moments after the communication was terminated, the hazy blue globe that enveloped the frozen world flickered, just long enough for a heavily armed shuttle to descend from the _Victory_-class Star Destroyer hanging overhead.   
  
The landing ramp of the shuttle dropped almost as soon as the engines shut down after landing. A squad of stormtroopers marched from the shuttle and took up position on either side of the ramp. A troop commander followed, along with the lieutenant, Nalgol, whom Padme had spoken with earlier. Between the troop commander and Nalgol marched the prisoners, their hands bound in front of them, a human male and female.  
  
"Warden Skywalker," Nalgol said, stepping forward crisply, his heels clicking together as he stopped in front of Padme. "On the orders of Emperor Palpatine, these traitors are placed under your supervision."  
  
"If I may, lieutenant, what crime did they commit that the Emperor felt it necessary to send them here?"  
  
"I was not given that information," Nalgol said. "I am simply obeying the orders that I was given." He nodded to Padme, turned on one heel with precision that seemed to prove him a recent graduate of the Imperial Academy on Carida, and returned to the shuttle. The stormtroopers followed him, as guards from the detention facility took custody of the prison. The ramp was raised at a command from the shuttle's pilot, and with a low roar the shuttle lifted off, leaving Padme, the prisoners, and the guards.  
  
"Process them, Commander, and then have them brought to my office," Padme said. "I wish to speak with them."  
  
"Yes ma'am. This way," the trooper said, giving the male prisoner a quick push with the butt of his blaster rifle. With troopers on either side, the prisoners entered the complex, leaving Padme alone with her thoughts. The words she had spoken seemed eerily familiar, and then she realized why. They were the same words that Nute Gunray had spoken when his droid troops had taken Padme and her handmaidens prisoner during the Trade Federation's failed invasion of Naboo fourteen years ago. With a shiver, whether from the cold or the memory, Padme turned and retreated to her office. There was a good deal of paperwork to get through today, she knew, and she wanted to be able to give the new prisoners her full attention when they arrived. All that remained behind were the imprints of her boots, and those soon vanished under the snow. 

============  
  
Padme was working on a report to the Emperor when the guards brought the prisoners, their hands still manacled, into her office. Padme felt that, like just about everything in the facility, that the office seemed wrong. To her, it felt too big, too grandiose. It seemed like something that was designed to intimidate, not the sort of thing Padme felt just. Both prisoners now wore the plain, dull, beige jumpsuit worn by all the prisoners. "The prisoners, ma'am," the trooper said, the filtered voice sounding metallic and not quite human.  
  
"I doubt that the binders are required, Commander," Padme said, not bothering to look up as the trooper entered. "Please remove them, and then excuse us," she said, as she continued to write. The trooper wouldn't like it, but Padme secretly enjoyed these moments, when she was able to exercise her authority, even though she knew that the trooper would be watching from outside the room. Once she was sure he was gone, she looked up at the prisoners.  
  
"As you know, this is a detention facility, therefore I won't ask you to make yourselves comfortable, as I doubt that this would be possible. I hope one day that the Emperor will see fit to release all who are imprisoned here, assuming that they have repented for the actions that have landed them here. Rather than welcome you, I simply suggest that you make the time that you are here useful." Padme looked down at the records. "What was it, exactly, that resulted in your imprisonment here?"  
  
"The Emperor took our daughter from us," Harmon Jade said. He was tall, with an aristocratic face and striking green eyes. His hair was cut short, with a comma of blonde hair dipping on his forehead, just above his right eyebrow. "He came in the middle of the night and took our baby, our little Mara, from us."  
  
"He said that she was Force-sensitive, and that we were ill-prepared to raise such a child," Ayn Jade said. She was petite, with flaming-red hair. Her eyes were what struck Padme. They were green, slightly flecked with gray, and they were currently turned on Padme with a coolness that Padme herself found a bit uncomfortable with. "I can't be sure that any parent is truly ready for a child, but that's no excuse to take that child from them. Removing a child from their home for no reason just isn't human. We tried to make him see that, tried to make him change his mind."  
  
"And what happens as a result?" Harmon asked. "We find ourselves incarcerated here. We last saw our daughter in the arms of the Emperor, as his troopers dragged us away."  
  
Padme was struck by the tale. She could understand what they Jades were going thought, her own children being separated from her. But she couldn't let her routine be cracked, at least not yet.

============  
  
"The prisoners continue to pose a problem," Emperor Palpatine said to Darth Vader. "As long as they exist, the possibility of rebellion exists. Any of them could rally the rabble behind them."  
  
"She will not allow that to happen," said Vader, his deep voice a sharp contrast to that of the Emperor. "As long as you command it, they will remain on Nespis IX."  
  
"Will they? There are some who could easily escape. Remember, there is a certain prisoner being kept there that, should he escape, could bring us both down."  
  
"He is kept separate from the remainder of the population, Padme assures me," Vader said, his reference to the woman he had once called his wife betraying the fact that he still cared for her.  
  
"Do not allow the past to cloud your feelings on the issue, Lord Vader. Given the correct stimuli, even Skywalker could become a risk. If the time comes, I may have no choice but to eradicate all on the planet."  
  
"Surely it will not come to that, my master."  
  
"Nespis serves my purposes for now. That does not mean that it always will. I need to know that I can trust you not to allow anything seditious off the planet should such measures become necessary."  
  
"It shall be as you command, my master."  
  
"Good," the Emperor said, a smile forming in the recesses of the hood of the cowled robe he wore. "Now, on the subject of the Jedi. I notice that Kenobi is still alive. How do you explain this?"  
  
"I have not yet been able to locate him, my master." That was Vader knew, only partially the truth. Darth Vader may have tried to search for the man he had once called master, but some remnant of Anakin Skywalker was reluctant to face off with Obi-Wan.

============  
  
Padme spent the rest of the week struggling to decide how she would be able to help the Jades come to terms with their loss, while not seeming to take an undue interest in the latest pair of prisoners to be assigned to her custody. Finally, she came to the realization that there was, in fact, no way that she could help the two out without it being obvious. Therefore, she ordered one of the troopers to bring the Jades to her office.  
  
"Prisoners 034 and 035, as requested, Warden," the troop commander said, bringing the pair into the office.  
  
"Thank you, Commander. That will be all," Padme said, her eyes relaying the message to the commander that she wished to be left alone with the prisoners, and to the seven hells with the consequences should Palpatine hear of it.  
  
"What did you wish to see us about?" Harmon asked, bringing up the subject before Padme could really collect herself. Years of political service, however, allowed her to regain her position without showing any real surprise.  
  
"I want to begin by telling you that I am sorry for the way you were brought in here. I also want you to know that not only do I sympathize with your situation, but," she quickly looked around the room, trying to make sure that there weren't any listening devices placed within without her knowledge, "know how you feel as well," she said, her voice lowered almost to a whisper.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ayn asked. "And why risk your position by telling us of this? For all you know, the Emperor could have agents placed within your office."  
  
"He does. Fortunately, I've been able to sway most of them to the point that they won't pass on anything to him unless it's completely seditious. Which will never come from this office."  
  
"You say that you know how we feel," Harmon said. "How?"  
  
"You had your daughter taken from you. A very close friend of mine, one whom I considered closer than a sister, once had her children taken from her moments after their birth. She confided to me, years later, that she spent almost all her time thinking about those children. What had they grown up to become? Would they even recognize her if she returned? And could they forgive her for letting them be taken from her?"  
  
Of course, Padme knew that this close friend she spoke of didn't exist. These thoughts she spoke of were her own. She knew that Bail would never let anything happen to Leia, and would raise her as well as Padme herself could have. The same could be said of Owen and Beru Lars. And there was the fact that Owen had known Anakin's mother. She could only hope that they would recognize her, and that someday they would find a way to be reunited as a family. She also hoped that they would understand just why it was that she had given them up in the first place. After all, Palpatine would have destroyed any offspring of Anakin, seeing them as a threat to his Empire.  
  
There was one prisoner who remained separated from the rest of the population, and it wasn't on Padme's orders. In fact, aside from the fact that there was a cell for him, she probably didn't know he was there. That was, after all, the way the Emperor wanted it. Though all those imprisoned on Nespis IX had simply disappeared, the reappearance of this particular individual would probably lead to an open rebellion. Not that there weren't those who would be perfectly happy to see him remain exactly where he was.  
  
The identity of this prisoner was a subject of much speculation. The troopers knew that he was there, and had been brought in personally by Darth Vader. Another thing that led to speculation was the fact that no living individual was to approach the cell. This prisoner was serviced entirely by droids. Somebody, Padme knew not who, had started a rumor going around that Prisoner 020 was horribly disfigured, and that the sight of him or her would drive the viewer mad. Padme doubted this. If such an individual existed, she had no doubt that the Emperor would have found some way to turn them into a tool for his use.  
  
Padme had her own ideas about who this mysterious prisoner was. Some of the facts simply screamed for attention. The prisoner had been brought in by Darth Vader himself, leading to the opinion that the capture of this individual required the presence of the Dark Lord of the Sith. The fact that only droids serviced this prisoner also led Padme to the opinion that this prisoner might be capable of bending the wills of other sentients. Only one group, Padme knew, would have been capable of this, and would have required the presence of her husband as well. Padme Skywalker believed that Prisoner 020 was a Jedi Master.  
  
As to which Jedi Master it was, though, Padme had no idea. Several Jedi had gone missing during the Clone Wars, and more had disappeared during the purges that resulted from Palpatine's rise to power. Just how many of his fellow Jedi had Anakin killed? How many more had died at the hands of Palpatine's agents. Much as the Emperor would have liked to keep his cadre of Dark Side adepts a secret, Padme still had sources outside the system. And there had been the fact that on at least one occasion, an Imperial Inquisitor had arrived on Nespis, with orders to interrogate both Ask Aak and Orn Free Taa. Now whom but a Dark Jedi would Palpatine have sent? Padme decided that it was time to get some answers. And if she had to go to the Emperor himself, she was going to get them.

============  
  
Vader crossed the threshold into the Emperor's private sanctum, wondering just what had led to this summons from his master. The throne was turned away from the lift, facing the stone wall. Vader climbed the steps leading to the throne, the edge of his cloak rasping against the stone. Arriving at the top, he knelt.  
  
The Emperor was aware of the Dark Lord's arrival. After all, Vader was strong enough in the Force that even someone with virtually no strength at all in the Force would be able to detect his presence. They might not understand what it meant, but they would feel Vader's presence. Palpatine centered himself, then rose, stepping around the throne. "Rise, my friend."  
  
"What is thy wish, my Master?" Vader asked, rising to his feet, and following the Emperor as he descended from the platform towards the lift, now surrounded by members of the Royal Guard.  
  
"Certain events on Nespis IX, reported by an officer within the warden's staff have drawn my attention. The warden seems to be showing some considerable curiosity about a certain prisoner."  
  
"She wants to know who he is," Vader guessed.  
  
"Precisely. And if she knew that Jedi Master Mace Windu is the mysterious prisoner, how long would it take before she challenged me directly?"  
  
"I doubt it would take very long. She has always had a certain weakness regarding the Jedi. It dates back to the time that Jinn and Kenobi saved her from the Trade Federation."  
  
"I want you to go to Nespis. Impress upon her the fact that she ventures into dangerous territory."  
  
"And if she persists?"  
  
"You will have to do what seems necessary to make sure that she doesn't become a threat. Even if it means sterilizing the planet."  
  
"It will not come to that, my Master."  
  
"I hope not," Palpatine said, though something in Vader's tone set off warning bells. "I presume your feelings on this matter are clear."  
  
"They are clear, my Master," Vader replied, though he wasn't quite sure if the words had been the truth or not. He only could hope that Palpatine believed what he said.

============  
  
Someone blabbed, Padme thought, when she received word that Vader had been dispatched to Nespis IX. Apparently this prisoner is more important than I thought. Padme realized that Vader's presence would probably bring every single aspect of her administration under scrutiny. To avoid certain inconsistencies, she arranged to have the Jades brought into her office one more time. She explained that, in order to keep her promise, they would have to be separated, possibly forever.  
  
"I don't like doing it any more than you do," she said when Harmon objected. "But if you do indeed want to be able to protect your daughter, then this is the only way." She could see from the looks on the faces of both parents that they realized that she spoke the truth.  
  
"How do you seek to achieve this?" Ayn asked, partially, Padme thought, because she wanted to see just how far the warden had thought this plan through.  
  
"One of the people working for me will somehow misplace the files on whichever of you chooses to go. Then, one of the stormtroopers will be temporarily incapacitated." I will then order that trooper, whose place will be taken by one of you, transferred to the Devastator, which is bringing Lord Vader to Nespis. A recommendation from the troop commander that you be placed within Lord Vader's honor guard will accompany you."  
  
"And from that position, we should be able to monitor Mara," Harmon said.  
  
"Precisely. However you decide which of you will be leaving, I suggest you do it soon. Vader is already on his way here."

============  
  
The shuttle appeared on the horizon, dropping fast towards the planet, Padme saw from her position just within the shield barrier that prevented the deadly cold of Nespis from invading the space of the prison. She could barely make out the shape of the shuttle, and could also see what appeared to be fighters. Yes, they were fighters, Padme realized, as the ships grew larger and more distinct. The shuttle was of a new design, more heavily armored, with the totality of its engines to the back. Flying along with the shuttle, two to either side, one in front, and one acting as rearguard, were examples of the latest type of starfighter being turned out by Seinar shipyards. It took all her training to keep from ducking as the lead fighter swept by overhead, the shields having been lowered momentarily from within the complex. She realized that these fighters were meant to intimidate, the scream of their twin ion engines designed to provoke fear. She stepped forward as the shuttle set down, the fighters landing to one side.  
  
Padme had donned the uniform proscribed to those serving the Empire on Nespis, as a formality. Normally, she preferred her own clothing, but on this case, facing the most dangerous of Palpatine's agents, she would wear the uniform, no matter how uncomfortable it made her feel. The uniform was cut from the same line as that worn by the Imperial Army and Navy. However, rather than the gray or black preferred by the Navy, or the brown usually worn by the Army, the scheme of those serving on Nespis was navy blue matched with a deep, almost black, crimson. The pants of the uniform were navy, while the top, in the case of all, was crimson. Padme's stature as warden was signified by a navy collar, with a thin gold braid running along the shoulder line. High black boots, like those worn by other Imperial officers, completed the uniform.  
  
The ramp of the shuttle lowered, and a group of six stormtroopers emerged. Padme realized, in that moment, how much they resembled the clonetroopers that had fought by her side on Geonosis. Following the troopers were a pair of Army personnel, and finally the gigantic, black-cloaked figure of Darth Vader. As the Dark Lord strode forward, Padme had to wonder if any vestige of Anakin remained, or it had all been consumed in the hatred that Padme believed Palpatine himself had stoked.  
  
"Lord Vader, what a surprise," Padme said, even though she, and he, knew that it wasn't.  
  
"You may dispense with the pleasantries, Warden," Vader said in reply. "I am here to conduct an evaluation of this facility."  
  
No Padme, no sign of the fact that, technically, he is still married to me, Padme thought. "Of course, my Lord. My staff is at your disposal."  
  
Vader began by ordering all the prisoners out into the center of the colony, as though his only worry was that everybody was present. A quick count by one of Vader's stormtroopers proved that this wasn't the case. This fact, of course, led to a visual check against the records of the prisoners to identify just who the missing one was. Unfortunately for Padme, the prisoner that she was most curious about never appeared.   
  
"Just who is Prisoner 020, my Lord?" she asked as the troopers attempted to isolate who it was that was missing.   
  
"Some questions are better left unasked, Warden. The price their answers carry is sometimes too grave to bear."  
  
So there is still something human there, Padme thought. He hasn't become completely machine. Her thoughts were interrupted by the clomping arrival of a stormtrooper.   
  
"The missing individual is Prisoner 034, my Lord. Jade, Harmon."  
  
"What? He and his wife only arrived a short while ago. You're sure that this isn't a mistake?"  
  
"Completely, Warden. Jade's wife is here, but he is not to be found. And she claims that she doesn't know where he is."  
  
"Bring her here," Padme said. "I'll see if I can get the answer from her." The trooper turned to leave, but Vader stopped him with a word.  
  
"Belay that order, Commander. I will question her myself. I want you to tear this place apart until you've found that traitor!"  
  
This exchange led Padme to begin questioning her plan. While she believed that Ayn Jade could have withstood questioning by any standard Imperial officer, she doubted that the woman would be able to maintain her role when confronted by the Dark Lord of the Sith.  
  
"He left me," Ayn Jade said, her voice much more firm than Padme would have expected, seeing as she was now standing before one of the most lethal men in the galaxy.  
  
"You expect me to believe that he wouldn't have told you, his wife, where he was going?" Vader asked.  
  
"I don't know what you believe," she said, and Padme wondered if she intended to force the hand of the Dark Lord. "Maybe he thought that alone, he could escape the planet. Or maybe he ran afoul of Warden Skywalker's troops. But I know that my husband didn't tell me where he was going."  
  
Even the Force revealed nothing to Vader at this point. He actually found himself, for just the briefest of moments, wondering this woman's story might actually be the truth. Some action, obviously needed to be taken. This sort of thing could not be allowed to occur again. At that moment, the stormtrooper commander entered the room.  
  
"There is no sign of him, Lord Vader. My troops have searched every inch of the colony. Also, the troop transfer that was ordered has been completed."  
  
"Very well, Commander," Vader said, recalling the secondary reason for the _Devastator_'s mission to Nespis. "Commander, bring two of your guards. Also, bring Lieutenant Zsinj to me." Zsinj had been the officer who had reported certain odd behavior within the warden as of late.  
  
"Yes, my Lord," the commander said, and returned within a very short period of time with the two guards and Zsinj. After all, anybody who wanted to stay alive knew better than to keep the Dark Lord waiting.  
  
"Incidents such as this...episode," Vader said, pausing as he tried to find the right words, "could lead to rebellion. Given the location, offering aid could be construed as treason. Lieutenant Zsinj, you are to take command of this facility," Vader said, then turned to Padme. "Padme Skywalker, you are removed from command. Consider yourself under arrest for gross incompetence and treason. Commander," Vader said, turning his attention to the troop commander, "process Padme Skywalker."  
  
"My Lord," Padme attempted to object, "you can't..."  
  
Vader cut her off. "You would do well to cooperate. I do not wish to bring the Emperor into this debacle. You should consider yourself lucky. The Emperor is not as...forgiving...as I am." Vader returned his attention to the troop commander. "Take her away!"  
  
As the guards led Padme from what used to be her office, she glanced back at the black figure of Vader, and realized that Anakin, that little boy she had met on Tatooine, was lost to her forever. She almost wept, but maintained her composure. Her acts of the last couple days would allow Harmon Jade to remain close to his daughter, even if he never spoke to her. If she was to become a prisoner, at least it was in an attempt to do some good in a galaxy that seemed perilously close to tipping into total darkness.  
  
_Finis_


End file.
